October 30, 1909, is noted as a great day in the history of Jesuit High School. On that day the President of the United States, William Howard Taft, visited the school on Baronne Street, then known as the College of the Immaculate Conception, and addressed the students, faculty, alumni, and guests who had gathered in the courtyard. The President was in New Orleans at the end of a river trip from St. Louis to speak at a convention promoting the deepening of the Mississippi River. This photo, taken by famed photographer Ernest J. Bellocq, shows President Taft flanked by dignitaries Archbishop James H. Blenk; Jesuit College president the Rev. Emile Mattern, S.J.; Louisiana Gov. Jared Y. Sanders; and New Orleans Mayor Martin Behrman. Speaking from a balcony overlooking the school’s courtyard, President Taft directly addressed the young men before him, telling them: “My boys, I am glad to be with you. I congratulate you on being where you are.” |
